Can unscrambler



Aug. 14, 1951 P. L. ALsUP l 2,564,143

CAN UNSCRAMBLER Filed May 27, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. P4 u L L AL 3 UP A TTORNEV Aug. 14, 1951 P. L. ALsUP 2,564,143

CAN UNSCRAMBLER Filed May 27, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

A7' TURA/EV Patented Aug. 14, 1951 A2,564,143 CAN UNSCRAMBLER Paul L. Alsup, Berkeley, Calif., assgnor to F. E. Booth Company lncmsan Francisco, Calif., a .corporation of Nevada Application May 27, 1946, serial No. 672,529

The present invention relates to can unscramblers and particularly to devices for receiving cans delivered by a conveyor or chute in both inverted and upright positions and delivering the cans all in the same position to another conveyor or chute.

Some products, such as fish, are packed in relatively fiat cans of the type which have the bottom and. side walls drawn from a single piece of metal. and a top secured thereto by a seam. This construction produces a can which differs in appearance and shape at its top and bottom edges so that care is necessary, in applying labels and packing the cans in boxes, that all cans assume a right side up position. In practice the cans are packed and sealed and then placed in a retort for cooking of the contents. The cans are carried in large baskets in the retorts and are in scrambled or non-uniform positions in the baskets. After cooking, the baskets are removed from the retorts and their contents of cans are dumped onto a chute or conveyor by means of which they are directed toward processing machinery such for example as a label applying machine. Due to their scrambled condition, many of the cans occupy an inverted or upside down position on the conveyor. As it is desirable that all cans be directed to the labeler in the same position it is necessary that many of the cans, usually about half of them, be turned over.

It is an object of the present invention to pro- 4 Claims. (Cl. 193-43) 2 Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line VI-VI of Fig. 1 illustrating the position assumed by the can shown in Fig. 5 when it reaches this point.

Referring first to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the can unscrambler of the present invention is illustrated as disposed between spaced conveyor belts I0 and I I to direct cans at a downward incline as they pass from the belt I 0 to the belt I I, which as chutes or the like.

is the direction of movement of cans on the conveyor system which includes these belts. The belts I0 and II are representative of any conventional conveyor or can directing means'such Cans are delivered to the belt I0, or to some conveying means preceding it, in a scrambled condition as would result from their being dumped from a retort basket and are z carried by said belt in a single file so that they may enter the upper end of the unscrambling apparatus one at a time.

The unscrambler receives all cans from the belt l0 without respect to their upright or inverted position and delivers them all in an upright position to the belt II by first compelling the cans to an on-edge position where they are unbalanced because of the seam which exists at their top edge only, and then permits them to fall by gravity. In Fig. 1 the can unscrambler is illusvide a can unscrambler which through very simple and inexpensive mechanism will receive cans in either right side up or upside down position and without interrupting their usual travel toward a processing machine or the like will deliver them all in the same position. FurtherI and more specific objects and advantages of the invention are made apparent in the following specification wherein, by reference to the accompanying drawings, the manner of attaining these objects is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation showing a can unscrambler which embodies the present invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the can unscrambler illustrated in Fig. 1;

Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged sectional views taken pri the line IV-IV of Fig. 1 illustrating two posi` tions which a can may assume in the unscrambler at this point; and

trated as comprising a can twister generally indicated at I2, an edge chute I3, and a transfer chute Il by means of which the unscrambled cans are directed to the belt II. The can twister I2 is conventional both as to its construction and function and may consist of any guidev chute capable of receiving a can in a at or horizontal position as it would be carried by the belt I0 and impelling it during its forward movement to twist about an axis -parallel to the direction of its movement through approximately ninety degrees, or until it assumes an on-edge position. The twister herein illustrated comprises a horizontally disposed` rectangular collar i6 arranged in a positionA to re-x ceive cans from the belt and a vertically disposed similar collar I1 through which the cans may b-e discharged. The collars I6 and I I are spaced from each other and connected by any suitable guide chute capable of imparting a ninety degree twist to the cans as they pass through'it. 'I'he chute herein yshown is made of a plurality of bars I8 extending between the collars I 6 and I I and in this case preferably also extending a shortr distance beyond the collar I'I as shown at I9.

As the can leaves the twister I2 it is received in its on-edge position in the edge chute I3 which is of channel shaped cross section in order to sup? port the canin an on-edge position as showia 3 Figs. 4 and 5. Because the can is on-edge and because it is of the type which is provided with a seam circumscribing its top edge while its bottom edge is without a seam and rounded as illustrated at 2 I, it tends to an inclined position where it is slightly unbalanced and disposed to fall to a position where it will rest on its bottom surface rather than on its top surface. 'This will be the case whether the can entered the twister in an inverted or an upright position because as it leaves the twister it will assume either a leftward tilt as indicated in Fig. 4 or a rightwardhtilt asv indicated in Fig. 5. In order to impart a tilt to the can which is even greater than Vwould bei caused by its own shape, the channel shaped guide I3 is provided as best shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 with small bars or tracks 22 in each of its inside corners so that as the can slides on its edge through the channel the seam i5 will be compelled to ride on top of one of the tracks 22 whereas the curved portion 2i at its bottom edgel will avoid the opposite track 22 as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. In this manner it is' insured that the center of gravity of the can will be disposed in a' position to compel it to fall toward its bottom side ae it leaves the chute i3. A concave guide 23- is' preierably although not necessarily disposed at the discharge end of the chute i3 and presents an upwardly facing smooth concave surface which receives the can approximately in the position illustrated in Fig. 6'. This insures turning of the can by gravity to right side up position aslit passes to the transfer chute l which, asshownin Fig. 6, is made up of a bottoni slide plate with fences or rails 2e secured to its opposite edges to corinne thecan to the slide plate as it travels toward the conveyor belt ll.

As the can leaves the twister l2 and enters the edge chute i3 its contact with the vertical edges of the channel shaped chute may retard its movementy somewhat and tend to cause it to roll?, particularly if it is the oval type can herein illustrated. The presence of the extended portions i9 of the bars le which make up the Walls of the chute E2 however, and particularly the upper-e most of said bars, willv tendto prevent such-rollingv until the can assumes thel position illustrated in either Figs. 4 or 5 and is ready to leave the end of the chute i3. The inventionis not confinedito the use oi oval cans as it may' be employed'for unscrambling cans ci rectangular or other shapes so long ask they are or the drawn type which irrcludes a seam at one edge which tends to cause theca'n to fall toward its bottom when itis sup--v ported in an on-edge position. i

With the construction shown, cans carried-by the conveyor IB in` scrambled condition: will: allE enter the receiving end of the twister and. will pass freely through the unscrambler at whatever. speed they may -be delivered toV its receiving-.unit and will without fail be disposed in a rightside up position on` the conveyor Il. The tracks 22A disposed in the edge chute are desirable inzl'nost cases for imparting an increased tilt tothecanwhich insures its falling'in the right position even;

though its contents may beunevenly packed-Land its center. of gravityinay.,thereforebe abnormal or unusuallyA disposed. However, with :the aver;-Y age can of the type, herein shown; the` invention will operate satisfactorilyA withoutV the:` tracks 22,-.v

While the unscrambler herein illustrated is operated entirely by gravity by virtue of its inclined arrangement, it is apparent that it may be otherwise arranged and that some means may be employed for impelling the can through the twister and edge chute if the present simpl-e arrangement is not employed.

l claim:

1. A can unscrambler for cans having a seam on one edge only comprising a chute through which cans may slide on a seamed and unseamed edge, means engaging and elevating the seamed edge as the cans slide whereby they will be inclined to fall in a direction away from the seamed edge', and a concave plate to support the sliding I cans as they leave the chute and as they fall in .Y the direction they were inclined.

2. A. can unscrambler for cans having a seam on one edge only comprising a chute through which cans mayslide on a seamed and unseamed edge whereby they will be inclined to iall in a direction away from the seamed edge, and an arcuate guide receiving the inclined cans to p'e'rmit them to fall in the inclined direction, said chute comprising a member of channel shaped cross section having a raised track in each corner' and being of a width to confine the cans to a position with the seamed edge sliding on one of said tracks'. Y

3. A can unscrambler for cans having a seam on one edge only comprising a chute through which cans may slide on a seamed and un-Y seamed edge whereby they will be inclined to iall in a direction away from the seamed edge, and means to receive cans from the chute and support them for sliding movement as they fall, saidV chute' including a portion of channel shaped cross section and tracks disposed in opposite corr ners of the chute in a position to engage and ele; vate the seamed edge of the can while permit ting its unseamed edge to slide on the bottom of the chute.

4. A can unscrambler for cans having a seam on one edge only comprising a chute through which cans may slide en a seamed and unseamed edge whereby they will be inclined to fall in a directionaway from the seamed edge', said chute including a portion of channel shaped cross sec-'-l tion and tracks disposed in opposite corners of said portion in a position to engage and elevate thev seamed edge ci the can while permitting its unseamed edgeto slide on the bottom oi' the chute, and a concave track adjacent the dis`= charge end of the chute to supportl the cansv as they rali. l y

PAUL L. ALSUP.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in thefile ofthis. patent:

UNTED STATES PATENTS 

